September 1998

They were in the garden laying out which areas they would turn into flower beds and which area Percy wanted to use as a kitchen/herb garden. The Burrow had always had a supply of vegetables and herbs growing and Percy had liked working with plants and earth as a child. It wasn't going to be a large space, but they had used scraps of paper to mock up the layout, and now they were out there with sticks and string as Audrey showed Percy how the muggles did it. Outline complete they flopped onto the grass as the sun tried to beat them into submission.

"I could really go for ice cream," Audrey commented. "But I don't think we have any."

"Fortescue's has amazing never melt ice cream," Percy reminisced. "Mum would take us as a treat in summer. I don't think I've had one since."

"What's never melt ice cream?"

"Exactly that, it never melts and dribbles down the cone."

"Wow, so does it last as long as an hour?"

Percy snorted. "Does any ice cream ever last an hour? Especially in the hands of children?"

"It would have to be a pretty big cone," Audrey replied smiling. "But I meant, you know, if you bought some in a tub to take home. When you buy it from the supermarket, it melts on the way home. If it lasted an hour, you could get it home without having soup."

"Oh," Percy said in understanding. "I've no idea. Wizarding travel and freezing charms being what they are I've never had to find out."

Audrey shrugged. "Doesn't matter, just a stray thought."

"So," Percy said after a moment of contemplation. "Fancy trying some?"

"Ice cream?"

Percy nodded.

"Yeah," Audrey said. "Why not." She glanced down at her grubby shorts and t-shirt. "I guess I'll have to change."

"Yes," Percy agreed. "Unless you want to cause a scandal. I doubt very much any witch, or wizard has gone through Diagon Alley with that much skin showing."

Audrey tilted her head back to the sky grinning. "You're telling me no wizard in history has gone on a stag night and streaked down the Alley as a dare?"

Percy paused considering. "Well, now you mention it, that probably has happened, though certainly not recently."

Audrey snorted a laugh.

"What?"

"Your pictures move. God, imagine if your mates took pictures!"

Percy joined in the laughter while he got to his feet and offered a hand to pull Audrey to hers. "Remind me never to do that then, just in case."

"Fred or George would," Audrey said.

Percy nodded grimacing comically. "Yes, thanks for that image. Please don't ever mention it to them. No, really, don't."

Audrey sniggered heading for the house. "Come on, let's get sorted, and you can treat me to your fancy ice cream."

Audrey had a shower to wash off the feel of grass sticking to her skin. Perusing her wardrobe in thought, she flipped through the clothes. Her eye settled on a dress that Rose had persuaded her to buy. It was a vintage fifties tea dress which she hadn't really known when she would wear, but had quite liked and given in willingly to Rose's assurances it looked good on her.

Audrey pulled it out of the wardrobe. She didn't want to wear transfigured robes it was far too warm. She was reasonably sure her shorts and t-shirts would make her stand out as a Muggle or Muggle-born, and she didn't really want to draw a lot of undue attention to either of them. The dress, however, was demure and feminine. Its bold polka dot fabric was still quite fun and wouldn't make her feel like an old maid. That decided Audrey and she dived back into the wardrobe for some shoes to go with it. Perhaps she might have to get Rose to find her some more dresses.

Percy was waiting downstairs for her dressed in a shirt with the top button undone, smart pressed trousers with a lightweight blazer. She caught their reflection in the mirror and smiled, they looked like they were going to church not for ice cream.

Percy looked at her with an appreciation which was reassuring. When his gaze got to her feet though he paused.

"What?" she asked.

"The alley is cobbled."

"Oh," Audrey said looking down at her heels. "I don't really have any flats that go with this dress."

"Can I?" he asked, his wand in his hand.

"Yes," Audrey said.

Percy cast a spell on her feet, and Audrey felt her balance adjust.

"What have you done?" she asked curiously noticing no change in the appearance of the shoes.

"Balance and cushioning charms," Percy replied. "You'll be able to walk over the cobbles without turning your ankle, and the cushioning charm means your feet won't hurt as much."

"Brilliant!" Audrey smiled. "Are we ready then?"

"Yes, I've locked up we'll take the floo to the Leaky."

Percy vanished the soot of their floo travel as they stepped out of the fireplace. Audrey used the time to take a few deep breaths and calm her disquiet. Floo travel would never be her preferred method of travel.

Percy held out his arm, and Audrey accepted it allowing Percy to lead her through the dim pub and out into the back alleyway.

"If only magical people can use this entrance, why isn't it nicer?" she asked looking around at the bins.

"I don't know," Percy replied as the brick wall shimmered in front of them. "I can't say I've ever thought about it."

The Alley was bathed in sunshine, and a good number of people had taken the warm weather as an excuse to come out and be sociable. Percy guided them up the street allowing Audrey to pause and look at whatever caught her fancy while subtly providing background information.

Before they reached Fortescue's, Percy was hailed by a familiar voice. "Percy, Audrey, how lovely to see you both,"

Percy stopped and turned towards Kingsley as he strolled towards them. "Minister," Percy said politely.

"Kingsley, please Percy, we're not in the office. Audrey, it's been a while. You are keeping well I trust?"

"Yes, thank you, Kingsley."

"I'd like to introduce you to Tonks. Tonks this is Audrey, Percy's fiancée."

"I've heard about you from Harry and Hermione," Audrey said offering her hand to the other woman. "I think Harry mentioned he was godfather to your son. I am sorry about your husband."

Tonks smiled a little wanly. "Thank you. I didn't know you knew Harry and Hermione."

"Yes," Audrey said. "I speak to Hermione's parents reasonably regularly, they have been very supportive."

"Oh? Oh," Tonks said obviously putting things together. "My Dad is muggle born. My Mum's family cut her off, so I spent a fair bit of time at my paternal grandparents. They were great people, took it really well when I morphed."

"Morphed?" Audrey asked.

"I'm a metamorph, I can change myself at will." Tonks demonstrated by changing her dull pink hair to the rich brown of Audrey's.

"Oh," Audrey said a little dumbly. "That's quite a talent."

Tonks laughed. "Yeah, it is," she shrugged self-deprecatingly. "So, what have you come to the Alley for?" she asked changing the subject and flashing her hair back to its bright bubble-gum pink.

"Fortescue's," Audrey said. "I fancied ice cream, and Percy suggested we come."

"It is good ice cream," Tonks agreed. "We should let you go, otherwise these two will stand here and talk shop all day." Tonks tugged on Kingsley's arm to regain his attention.

He broke off his conversation which had drifted to work-related matters and gave the witch an enquiring look.

"We're interrupting their date which is quite rude. I'd like to pop in and get Teddy a couple of new things. He's growing so fast his clothes can't keep up, and I'm crap at tailoring charms. We should leave these two to get on with it."

"Oh," Kingsley said. "Yes, of course, I am sorry for interrupting you."

"Its fine," Audrey said with a smile. "It was lovely to see you again and meet you, Tonks."

Kingsley shook Percy's hand in farewell before taking Audrey's up with both of his. "It was a pleasure to see you again in less fraught circumstances. If time permits I'd like to invite you and Percy for dinner. I'm sure I can browbeat Tonks into playing hostess for me."

Tonks huffed a laugh. "Only if you don't want any plates or glasses left at the end of the evening. I'm clumsy," she said as an aside to Audrey. "It's a curse."

Audrey raised her eyebrows. "A real one?"

Tonks laughed again. "No, though knowing my family…. But no, I'm just horribly clumsy, I can fall over fresh air and trip over my feet standing still. My mother despairs of me since she is as graceful as a swan. I only hope Teddy hasn't inherited it from me as well. He can morph too you see, and it can be a side effect of the magic. Since your body is always in flux, your balance can shift near instantly." She shrugged unconcernedly. "But if Kingsley is willing to risk his flatware."

"I'd like that," Audrey said. "I know some of Percy's family but few from outside that circle."

"Then we'll organise a date," Kingsley said pleased. "I understand you can work away a fair bit, but we can hash something out in the next few weeks I'm certain."

Percy nodded in agreement, and the parties went their separate ways.

"That was kind," Audrey said. "And Tonks seems very nice."

"Yes, she went to school with my brother Charlie they were best friends, probably still are, to be honest."

"I've not met Charlie, have I?"

"No, he's still abroad."

Audrey nodded, but her attention was taken by the frontage of the ice cream shop. "Oh, is this it?"

"Yes," Percy said as they joined the queue and accepted one of the hovering menus.

Audrey asked Percy about the flavours she didn't recognise before settling on a cone of the raspberry ripple ice cream. Percy had a rich looking chocolate ice cream cone, and Audrey made him promise they could come back to try the other flavours.

They wandered away from the busy shop frontage and settled on a bench contentedly consuming their cones despite Audrey's curiosity about how long the ice cream would stay frozen. It seemed that five minutes was a few minutes longer than necessary. The ice cream was delicious, and she'd eaten it far quicker than was possibly polite.

Audrey glanced around watching the people come and go. All of them were dressed conservatively despite the heat. Most dressed in long robes, though they looked to be of lighter weight fabric than the wool ones Percy wore to work. She noticed a wizard spot them both and turn towards them. She nudged Percy tilting her head.

"Percy," the wizard said. Percy stood up shaking the wizard's proffered hand.

"Phil, this is Audrey. Audrey, this is Phil Mills, he works in the permits office at the Ministry."

"Audrey," the wizard said with a friendly smile. "It's about time Percy brought you around. This is my niece Suzanna," Phil said indicating a girl of about eight or nine trailing behind him. "She's Trevor's sister. Since Beatrice and Trevor went back to Hogwarts last week I said I'd bring her out again for a bit of a look around that wasn't overrun with kids getting school supplies."

"She's a witch too?" Audrey asked as the girl sidled up to her uncle shyly peeking up at them.

Phil shook his head. "Her parents are muggles, but my family is close, so her brother spends time at my sister's place with his cousins. My sister's house is set up with the right enchantments in case of accidents. Suzanna can get a bit left behind when they all go haring off."

"It's nice to meet you, Suzanna," Audrey smiled at the girl. Suzanna looked up at Phil before sending a small smile at Audrey.

Phil shrugged at his niece's shyness. "Anyway, it was good to see you, but I've got to get off. The pictures are showing Mulan in the kid's slot, and I have been drafted in as official chaperone. It's nice to finally meet you, Audrey, you should come next time we go down the pub. I'll let Percy know."

"Yes, thank you," Audrey said politely. "I hope you enjoy your film."

Phil grinned rolling his eyes good naturedly before shaking Percy's hand and heading off, his niece at his side.

"He seems nice."

"Yes, there are a few others I work with that would like to meet you," Percy replied offering his arm as they began walking down the Alley. "It might be best if we have them over for an evening or else arrange to meet everyone at a pub. There's a shop I want to take you to, it's this way."

"They know about me?" Audrey asked as Percy guided her down a small alleyway between two buildings that opened up into another wide street with shops.

"They know I'm seeing someone and that someone is called Audrey. A few know that you are a muggle, Mills does, as does his friend Anthony White. I haven't mentioned it, because it wasn't safe until You-Know-Who was gone, then because it isn't important to me. I don't care. Some people might but if they have a problem its their's not ours."

Percy stopped outside the door of a crooked three storey building. The shop front was narrow, the bow window cloudy and difficult to see through, giving no clue to what it sold. "Anything in here, anything and everything should be safe for you to handle, but if you aren't sure, then please don't and ask me."

"Alright, are you expecting me to want to buy things?"

"Yes," Percy said with a knowing smile. "I am only worried how we are going to explain it all."

He opened the door ushering Audrey inside the gloom.

Once her eyes adjusted Audrey sighed with longing. "Oh, Percy."

Percy chuckled. "Go on. I'll follow you."

Audrey spared him not a single glance as she headed over to the first shelf. Sixteenth-century goblets were arrayed catching the dim light filtering through the window and glowing mutely. Audrey's hand was reaching for one as soon as she was in range. She waited long enough to send a look over at him in question. He raised his hand waving her on, then stood and watched as she picked it up turned it over and felt the weight of it.

Ten minutes was given over to goblets. A collection of six was left in his possession as she moved over to the selection of sideboards grouped together.

Percy followed watching Audrey keeping an eye out for stray magic left on the pieces by the previous owners. Percy had checked into the shop before bringing Audrey here. The furniture here was mostly from estate clearances much like her own work. The pieces were more expensive than in other shops because the stock was evaluated by an experienced team of curse breakers who ensured that all harmful magics were removed before they were sold on. Percy thought that the extra expense was certainly worth it if it meant Audrey could indulge in her passion with antiques the quality of which she couldn't normally find.

One sideboard got tapped on its top, and a look sent at Percy to indicate that she was interested in it. Percy nodded summoning the small cardboard card with the details on it to him.

Audrey smiled and moved on to the corridor which had a wall of hall trees down its length. Percy went to find the assistant. If some of Audrey's choices were to be put through the family shop, then he would have to ensure that the provenance of the pieces would be provided by the shop and were suitable for muggles.

The assistant was a recent Hogwarts graduate by Percy's guess. He sloped after Percy to the sideboard listening to Percy's request for the provenance with a disinterested nod. He drew his wand casting a glowing red circle over the piece before following Percy down the hallway Audrey had disappeared down. He found her handbag on the seat of a hall tree. "This too," he instructed the assistant picking up the handbag. A clatter of feet on stairs had Percy moving towards the stairs leading to the next floor.

"I was just coming to find you. I've found a wardrobe, and I was wondering…" Audrey told Percy then caught sight of the assistant and addressed him instead. "Oh, good. There's a Louis XV up there missing it's door mirror."

"Yeah, it was cursed," the assistant said. "They had to take it out. It's alright otherwise."

"Without its mirror, it's a box. I want thirty percent off its ticket price, re-glazing it will be a pain in the arse."

The assistant blinked. "Well, I don't know."

"You aren't going to sell it otherwise," Audrey pointed out. "Not without a mirror and if it were easy to do, you'd have done it. I want the bedstead too, the carved walnut one. You've overpriced it even if its provenance checks out but I'm willing to negotiate."

The assistant shot Audrey an alarmed look before glancing at Percy. "I, uh, well I'm not really the right person to ask."

"Well, floo whoever is," Audrey said. "I haven't got all day, and there are other places we can go to shop."

The assistance nodded scurrying off to a door concealed behind a bend in the corridor.

"I can't bring the van here, so I don't suppose you can shrink all this stuff down?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," Percy confirmed.

"Oh good. Umm one other thing the wardrobe and bedstead and that sideboard aren't for our house. Can you buy it and I'll get you refunded Monday? I'll get an account set up I think. There's a couple of other bits I think we might find a buyer for, but I'll have to check Uncle hasn't lined something up for them."

"I had a suspicion that bringing you here might result in such things," Percy commented wryly.

"What do you think of the hall tree?" Audrey asked leading him back to it. "It's the right size for the hall, and they really are quite useful especially when they have a seat and the mirror in the back."

A witch came from the office trailed by the assistant. Audrey went to meet her. "Thank you for coming in."

The witch shook Audrey's hand, eyeing them both. "My assistant said that to wished negotiate on prices?"

Less than twenty minutes later Audrey gave him a smile, and he stepped up to the desk where the assistant was busily compiling an invoice.

"Bill it to this account at Gringotts," Percy said handing over the details. "Could you shrink it for transportation as well, please? We'll need a box."

The assistant nodded again still bent over his quill.

"We have new items come from our curse breakers every second Tuesday," the witch explained as Percy came up to her side. "I can send you an owl with the details of the pieces if it would be of interest to you."

"It might," Audrey replied cautiously. "I can give you the address to send the owl. If there are pieces I'm interested in I can send a reply."

"That would be satisfactory," the witch said nodding. The assistant came over to them and held out a shoebox-sized box sealed with Spell-o-tape.

"Thank you. The documents are enclosed?" Percy enquired.

"Yes," the wizard confirmed.

Percy nodded then looked to Audrey to check if she was finished. Audrey nodded, so Percy crossed to the door holding it open for her to pass through.

Back in the alley and away from the shop Audrey turned to Percy. "Why don't more wizards do that? I paid peanuts, literally, for all that. Four or five hundred pounds for a Louis XV wardrobe in that condition even without a mirror is daylight robbery. It's upwards of four thousand on a slow day at auction. The same with the bed. The conversion on the currency goes the wrong way for wizards admittedly, but with a little seed money you could make a killing in the muggle world."

"The furniture is cheap to buy because there's quite a lot of it still around. Magic will keep it in good condition, it goes in and out of fashion like everything, but we can shrink and store things so throwing things away is really for those things that can't be repaired. As for why don't more do it, well, it's about knowledge. Not just knowledge of the furniture and the markets you are selling to but also of how to operate in the muggle world. Phil is as comfortable in the muggle world as anyone, but he still lives as a wizard. He still shops in wizarding shops. He might go to the supermarket for bits and pieces, but he lives in a wizarding house so his food shop can be delivered by owl if he wants. Your profession is fairly niched to start with, so from a small population sample, you aren't going to get a huge number of people interested. It's certainly not something you are offered as a career when you go through career advisement at Hogwarts. Unless it's a family business but if it is then it needs to be a family that is open to dealing with muggles, and there aren't very many. Muggleborns are problematic enough."

"So what you are telling me is that I can make a killing because I have the market to sell to and the access to suppliers who have more than enough furniture to get shut of."

"Yes, in essentials."

"Well then," Audrey said with a smile. "They do say don't look a gift horse in the mouth. How do I go about setting up an account with Gringotts I can have billed like you just did?"

Percy checked his watch. "We have time if you want to go back now. The goblins won't have a problem with you being a muggle for a simple account. They deal with all the muggle parents."

"Great, let's go then."

Percy led Audrey back into Diagon Alley and up to the bank. This time instead of sitting quietly and watching Audrey stayed with Percy and approached the goblin at the desk when Percy nudged her forward.

"Hello, I'd like to open an account with you if I may."

"Hogwarts?"

"No. for me to use when I'm shopping in the alley," Audrey explained.

The goblin gave her a long look. "Name."

"Audrey Stone."

The goblin scrawled something down with a quill. "You already have an account," the goblin said after a moment giving her an accusing look.

"That is my account," Percy explained stepping up beside her. "You are named on my account details so should anything happen to me it is easier for you to access what is in my vault."

"Well, this is just for me, for business purposes. I don't want to link it to that account." Audrey clarified to the goblin. Percy nodded then retreated again knowing the goblin would be suspicious if he hovered.

The goblin muttered and handed over a scroll of parchment, then pushed a quill and ink pot forward. "Fill that in."

Audrey gave the quill and ink pot a funny look before reaching for her bag. "You don't mind if I use my own pen, do you? Only I've never used a quill, and it would take three times as long." She flourished the fountain pen at the goblin. "You can check it's not, hexed, or anything."

The goblin looked offended. "No cheap wizard trick can fool Gringotts."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

The goblin gave her another long look and Audrey flushed under it. She picked up the scroll looking around for a table. "Should I do this here or do you have somewhere I can sit so you can serve the next person?"

The goblin if anything, looked more upset. "You fill it in here."

Audrey nodded uncapping the pen and started filling in the information requested. As she wrote she glanced up at the goblin who was watching her with suspicious eyes. "So, will I get a bank card? And can I transfer money from our bank to yours? Do you have a BACS or CHAPS system?"

"You bring the money here."

"I have to come into the bank? What about making payments in stores? I am expecting to spend reasonable sums. Your gold coins are quite bulky."

"Give them your account number and sign," the goblin snapped impatiently. "The money will move."

"Well, that's a bit like electronic payments then. You don't physically have to move the gold, do you?"

"No," the goblin replied testily.

"Ahh, good. It would be quite exhausting."

She finished the form signing the bottom before handing it back over. The goblin read it through then using a wooden handled stamp pressed a seal onto the bottom of the parchment. The scroll rolled itself up and vanished.

"Oh," Audrey said in surprise.

The goblin pushed a key over to her. "For your vault. Replacements will be provided for a cost, so do not lose it."

"Thank you," Audrey said scooping up the small key.

Percy, having seen that Audrey had received her key, came back to the desk. "We'd like to visit my vault then Audrey's please."

"Visit? But,"

Percy shook his head at Audrey. "You'll see." Percy led her over to the door where the goblin was waiting for them. Percy helped Audrey into the cart then settled himself next to her.

"Percy, Audrey said nervously. "Just what is going on?"

The cart set off at speed down the track and Audrey didn't hold back her shriek of surprise. The cart rattled along twisting and turning before slamming to a halt.

"Come on," Percy said getting out and holding his hand out. "This is my vault. The key lets you through. There's nothing much to show you, but you might as well see it."

Audrey followed Percy to the small stone door. He placed his key in the hole as the goblin laid his hand upon the stone. The door clunked and swung open. Inside was like a small cave, a large chest was on one side with a few books arrayed on a naturally forming shelf. Audrey looked around in interest while Percy threw up the lid on the chest.

"Some wizards just leave their gold piled up on the floor like a dragon's hoard. Personally, I find a good size chest much more to my taste. My Ministry wage comes here automatically, the magic on the chest means it is stored inside without my having to visit to put it there. If you think you'll need one, we can purchase you one. Here, open your handbag up."

Audrey did as he said holding it open as he scooped handfuls of large gold coins into it. When it was full, he closed the chest and led her back to the cart.

"We'll go to your vault now, and you can deposit that. Perhaps if you set up a muggle bank account which you can transfer the funds to, I can withdraw them and bring them to the bank. It would mean that you wouldn't have to make the trip as much."

Audrey refrained from answering as the cart shot along the tracks again. She tried harder to see to each side of her now she knew what she was looking at, but the maze of rails and twists and turns distracted her from getting a good look.

The cart stopped in front of a door. Audrey dutifully fished out the key, and the goblin opened the door for her. Inside was similar to Percy's vault only it stood empty. Audrey made neat piles of the gold from her handbag on the naturally forming shelf then turned to leave.

"We'll get a statement from upstairs. Now you have a deposited balance. If you need to you can have the furniture you buy stored in here, if you need to," Percy suggested.

"Yes, that would be convenient especially if the showroom or the warehouse if full. That's a good idea, Percy, thanks."

Out in the foyer of Gringotts again Audrey smoothed her hair down and followed Percy back over to the counter. She handed over the key and asked the goblin for a balance sheet. The goblin weighed the key then handed it back with a scroll of parchment.

Audrey thanked him then followed Percy out into the street again. "Can we go to the warehouse and drop those bits off? Only they will need enlarging, and I can't do it, and Uncle can't see. He won't be there today."

"Of course, if I take us to the front step of the flat above the shop?"

"Yes, there's room in the storage for them."

Percy apparated them out of the alley and to the door of the flat. Audrey cast it a fond look before heading down the stairs pulling her keys out to get them into the storage area.

"Just in here. I hope we don't have anything coming in on Monday."

Percy retrieved the wardrobe and bedstead and cancelled the shrinking and packing spells. The bed had been shrunk made up, so it took the bulk of the available space with the wardrobe next to it. Percy levitated a table and chairs over to allow him the space to enlarge the sideboard. Once they were back to full-size Audrey checked them over while filling in a stock form and stapling the paperwork from the shop to the records.

Percy went further into the storage area, he hadn't been in here for a while and was interested in what had arrived and what had left. Up against the back wall behind a table was a mirror in a gilt frame that was missing one long side. The glass was freckled but otherwise looked in excellent condition. An idea occurred to him, and he headed back towards Audrey.

"You said you would re-glaze the wardrobe. Would it make a difference if it was done with an older mirror as opposed to a new one?"

"Yes," Audrey said. "Obviously newer glass would detract from the value, but not a huge amount. Older glass is nearly impossible to get though."

"What about that mirror in the back, the one with the broken frame?"

"Well yes, but the glazer probably won't want to cut it. Why?"

"I could do it."

"Sorry?"

"I mean I could do it. Reshape the glass to fit the wardrobe. That is, as long as its alright with you. You might not want to."

"No," Audrey said moving past him to the mirror. "This one? We were going to fix it, but it's just not worth it. If you think you can do it go for it."

Percy levitated the mirror over to the wardrobe. He removed the frame with a wave of his wand vanishing it. He then took a closer look at how much he would need to change the shape of the mirror. He cast the spell, and the mirror began to slowly shrink. He moved the mirror closer to the wardrobe as its shape changed so he could better judge it. Confident he had the right size he cast a permanent sticking charm on the mirror and pushed it onto the wardrobe.

Audrey stepped up to examine his work. "Wow Percy, that is perfect."

Percy scrutinised it looking for flaws. "Well,"

"No really, it is, the glazers wish they could do so well and the freckling hasn't distorted at all. It looks great. Thank you."

"It's no problem. It was good to try, I've never used that spell before."

"One out of your Dad's book?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to give it him back?"

Percy smiled. "Yes, but I might invest in a copy for myself."

"Well, I'm done here so let me lock up and then we'll go home?"

"Yes of course."

Sunday morning Percy went down to collect the paper and the post. The Daily Prophet was waiting for him in the basket set out for owl post. An owl was perched on the windowsill and pecked impatiently at the glass when he entered the kitchen.

"You are supposed to leave it in the basket," Percy said opening the back door allowing the owl to flutter over to him and remove the letter. The owl fluffed its feathers importantly.

"Right, so you have to wait for a reply. Fine." He fished a preserved frog leg out of the jar they kept in the kitchen disguised from prying muggles. "Here, you can rest in the tree at the bottom of the garden. I'll have something to you as soon as I can."

Percy made tea and tucked the post into his dressing gown pocket, and the paper under his arm then made his way back upstairs to their bedroom. Audrey yawned sitting up as he came in gladly accepting her tea. "Thanks," she mumbled. Percy grinned, dropping the paper onto the bed, remembering to collect the post from his pocket before sending the dressing gown sailing back to its hook.

Audrey unrolled the paper and started scanning through it. Percy noted that she didn't really read the articles, just skimmed for an idea of what was going on should he mention something. He turned his attention to the post. He could read the paper later when Audrey had finished.

The first letter was from Bill and Fleur inviting them to Shell Cottage for dinner, the second was work related, and he took his time to read it properly. It shouldn't have come to him at home really, but someone had obviously told the post owl to take it to him personally rather than his office. The third letter was the one the owl was waiting for a reply to. Percy was just about to break the wax seal when Audrey spoke.

"So how does this work? Is above the fold a good thing in your world as well as mine?" She handed the page over. It was a photograph taken yesterday when they were in the Alley. Kingsley, Tonks, himself and Audrey stood in the sunshine talking together.

"Should I start a scrapbook? I'm a pretty young witch, and you are the right hand of the Minister according to this. They obviously stuck around because they saw Phil talking to you, and he's described as an up and coming something or other in the Ministry."

Percy scanned through the article. It was mostly a fluff piece written around the picture of the four of them. "Great, that's just what we need," he grumbled handing the paper back to Audrey.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Audrey said. "It's quite a nice picture. No one is pulling a silly face, and look we're laughing at the end."

"It's not that. Now they've seen us they'll keep an eye out for us, and I've no desire to have my life splashed over the society pages of the Prophet. They crucified Hermione and Harry more than once. I am more than happy being a faceless nobody."

"Oh well," Audrey consoled. "We don't spend a lot of time in the Alley. Perhaps they'll lose interest in a few weeks."

"Mmm," Percy agreed dubiously. He continued to break the seal on the letter and unfolded it. He read it through twice. "Oh, for Merlin's sake!"

"What?" Audrey said looking up from reading the article on them again.

"Dumbledore has died."